Device for pocketing springs



c F. PETERSON DEVICE FOR POCKETING SPRINGS Filed Sept. 29, 1941 I5 Sheets-Sheet 1 JNVENTOR /farJ 7.7752221501?.

ATTORNEYS.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 /5 C. F. PETERSON DEVICE FOR POCKETING SPRINGS Filed sept. 29, 1941 No'v. 23, 1943.

Nov. 23, 1943.

vC. F. PETERSON DEVICE FOR PocKETING SPRINGS Filed sept. 29, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Nov. 23, 1943 DEVICE FOR POCKETING SPRINGS Clifford F. Peterson, Belding, Mich., assignor to The Murray Corporation of America, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application September Z9, 1941, Serial No. 412,820

(Cl. 29h-87.1)

Claims.

The present invention relates to devices for compressing and pocketing or inserting coil springs and particularly relates to an air operated spring compressor for filling burlap strips with such springs.

One of the primary objects of the present invention is to provide improvements in devices of the type mentioned, whereby coil springs may be properly and quickly inserted in the pockets of the burlap strips.

A further object of the invention is to provide improvements in devices of the type mentioned which are adapted for use with coil springs of different dimensions and by which such coil springs are compressed and retained compressed for ready insertion in the pockets of burlap f upholstery elements.

A further yobject of the invention is to provide improvements in devices of the type mentioned in which improved gauge or guide means is provided which engages and guides the spring during compression thereof and which is moved out of the way after compression so that the springs may be readily inserted in the pockets of burlap strips.

A further object of the invention is to provide improvements in compressors for springs which are so constructed that they are adapted to handle springs of different lengths and of different diameters.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following specification, the drawings relating thereto, and from the claims hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings, in which like numerals are used to designate like parts in the several views throughout:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a coil spring compressor and pocketing device according to the present inventio-n;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary top plan View taken substantially along the line 2-2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, side elevational view of the structure shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a partial, end elevational view taken in the direction of the arrow 4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional View taken substantially along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an end elevational View taken substantially along the line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged, elevational view taken substantially along the line 1 1 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic, perspective view illustrating the spring in its compressed position and before insertion in a burlap strip;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary, elevational View of a burlap strip having the spring initially inserted into the bottom of the pocket thereof; and

Fig. l0 is a view similar to Fig. 9 illustrating the spring after it has been turned around and expanded to fill the pocket.

According to the present invention, an apparatus is provided for lcompressing coil springs and for supporting such coil springs in their compressed condition While they are being inserted into the pockets of burlap strips. The apparatus includes a pair of superimposed elements between which the spring is supported above a table support. The upper of the elements is moved toward the lower element to compress the spring and to hold the spring in such compressed condition while the burlap strip is slipped over the free ends of the elements. The spring is thus deposited into the bottom of the burlap pocket, and the open end of such pocket sewed shut. The spring may then be turned around to a position longitudinally of the pocket, where it expands to ll the pocket.

Referring to the drawings for a detailed description of the apparatus, such apparatus includes a table support generally indicated at II), which includes a frame and a top table support I2. The compressor includes a pair of superimposed arms I4 and I6, which are disposed above the table I2 so that the free ends of such arms i6 and IE extend toward one end of the table.

The upper arm I6 is Xed adjacent one of its ends to a cross head Hl. Such cross head I8 is provided with vertical openings at the sides thereof, to which the upper ends of depending rod members 20 are attached. Such rod members are slidably disposed Within tubular supporting and guiding members 22 which are also disposed vertically and which extend downwardly through openings in the table I2. The members 22 are Xed to and extend through a mounting plate 24, which is secured to the table I2 by means of bolts 2t. The rods 20 may be guided within the tubular members 22 by means of spaced bearing sleeves 26 which are disposed within the members 22 and Xed thereto, preferably adjacent the upper and lower ends thereof.

The upper arm I6 is adjustably connected to a vertical piston rod 28 through the cross head I8. In order to so connect the cross head I8, the rod 28 is provided With a plurality of verticallyspaced openings 30 therethrough. A spring latch 32 is secured to the cross head I8 intermediate the ends thereof and has a tapered end portion which is adapted to be removably received within any one of the apertures 3D. The rod 28 eX- tends through a central aperture in the cross head I3, and by sliding such cross head axially with respect to the rod 28 it will be appreciated that it may be iixed in position at any one of the plurality of apertures Sil through the cooperating action of the latch pin 32. By so adjustably X- ing the position of the upper arm I5 with respect to the rod 28, it will be appreciated that the conipressor may be adjusted to accommodate coil springs of different lengths.

The lower arm I is Xed to the top surface of the plate 2t by means of suitable bolts so that it assumes a Xed position in spaced relation to the top surface of the table I2. thereby superimposed with respect to the arm I4,

and coil springs 33 are adapted to be received be- The arm i6 is tween the arms lli and I6. Such a spring is illustrated in its extended position by the full lines in Fig. 3. By moving the upper arm IS downwardly'to the position shown by the broken lines in Fig. 3, it will be understood that the spring 33 is compressed and is retained in its compressed condition between the arms IG and Iii.

Such downward movement of the upper arm I6 is effected through an air cylinder 3d. The piston rod 28 extends downwardly through an aperture in the plate 211 and through an aperture in the table I2 and through the head end 35 of the cylinder Spiel. The inner end of the rod 28 is connected to a piston 33 which is disposed within the cylinder 3d. A rubber sleeve Gil is disposed about the lower end of the rod 28 and above the piston 3S to serve as a bumper in limiting the upward movement of the piston 33 and the rod 28. An end closure 4I is fixed to the lower end of the cylinder 361 and is pivotally connected through a clevis 42 and pivot pin it with a frame member 45 of the table if). Thus, the piston and cylinder assembly is mounted on the table support It.

An air inlet and outlet port 46 is provided in the head 36 communicating with the upper end of the cylinder 3:1, and an air inlet and outlet port I8 is provided in the lower end d communicating with the lower end of the cylinder 34. Air conduits 50 and 52 are connected to the ports 46 and 4,3 respectively and lead to an operating control valve 5G which may be of conventional construction. A source of compressed air is supplied through the valve 54 by means of a conduit 56. Such valve 54 is actuated by a foot lever 58 which controls the flow of duid through the valve and to either end of the cylinder 35i. Thus, when fluid under pressure is supplied through port 1136, the piston 3B is forced downwardly, depressing the rod 28 and drawing the arm I6 downwardly to compress the coil spring 33. rIhe downward movement of the arm I 6 is guided by the rods 2l] and their cooperating guide sleeves 22.

A rubber sleeve 6G embraces the shaft 28 and is xed to the plate 24. Such rubber sleeve 60 serves as a bumper against which the cross head I8 abuts when the arm I6 reaches the lower end of its stroke.

The spring 33 is engaged and guided during its compression by means of a guide gauge including a pair of upstanding rod members 62 which are adapted to engage the outer periphery of the coil spring 33 at spaced points therearound. Such rods 62 are mounted for vertical movement with the movement of the arm I6 and are also mounted for adjustment to accommodate springs of diierent diameters. The rods 62 extend through,

`side edges, which are adapted to be slidably mounted on guideways formed by elongated, L- shaped members "It, which are fixed to the plate ,members 1.6 at opposite side edges thereof.

The plate member lil has a depending arm i6 Xed to the rear edge thereof, which is provided with a tapped opening i3 therethrough. Another depending arm 8i! is fixed to a transverse plate member 82'adjacent the front :edge thereof, and vsuch plate Amember v82 is fixed with respect to the plate G6. The depending arms 'I6 andrare similar in shape and position with respect to each other, and the arm Sil is provided with an aperture therethrough which is aligned with the tapped opening 78. A crank rod 8d is disposed through the aperture inthe arm Sli and hasvits inner end threaded, as indicated at 86. Such threaded end 85 is received within the tappedl opening 7S. It will thus be seen that by turning the crank shaft Sd the plate I0 is caused to move longitudinally of the guideways formed by thel members 'I5 to thus move the rod 82 longitudi- The lower ends of the rods 652 are welded to a l plate member Si! which is provided with an elongated slot 92 adjacent the lower edge thereof.

The rod members 62 are caused to reciprocate with the arm if; and the stroke oi the rod 62 is greater than the stroke of the arm it, so

that the rod 52 will be moved downwardly to a position substantially flush with, or slightly below, the top surface of the table I2. In this way the rods @2 are moved to an out-of-the-Way po-V sition so that the burlap stripmay be slipped' over the ends of the arms I 4 and] In order to give this movement to the rod member $2, an elongated lever 24 is provided, having one of its ends pivotally connected to the plate member Sii by means of a pivot pin 5S which is received within the slot 92. Such arm 94 is lalso pivotally connected toa cylindrical 'y block member S8 :by means of a pivot pin ill, Such block S8 is provided with a tapped pocket HG2 in one end thereofwhich is` adapted vto threadably receive the lower threaded end of one of the members 2G therein.l Thus, the,V member Q3 is Xed to this one of the rod members 2d,

and will reciprocate therewith upon actuation of the air cylinder S.

Thus, as air is supplied to the `upperendof the cylinder Seto compress the arm I6, the rods 29 are moved downwardly. The rods 62-are,cor respondingly moved downwardly through the.y A connection of the lever 94 with oneA of the.rod..

members 29, and with the plate member 90. As the arm I6 and the rods 62 approach their lower limits of movement, an additional or accelerated movement is provided the rods 62 to move them to the out-of-the-way position above mentioned. Such additional movement or increased stroke is provided by the opposite projecting end of the lever 94. Such opposite end has a curved element IM fixed to the underside thereof, which is disposed above a bumper element |06 mounted to one of the frame members |08 of the support it. As the lever Qd approaches its downward limit, it will be appreciated that the member Hill strikes the bumper lilo to pivot the lever 94 about the pivot lili. The pin 96 may thus move along the slot 92 and give the accelerated movement, or additional stroke, to the rod members 62 to move them to a position downwardly, substantially iiush with, or slightly under, the top surface of the table l2.

A coil spring Hi) is connected to the lever 94 between the pivot points I! and B, and extends upwardly, and has its opposite end connected to an upstanding bracket or plate member H2, the lower end of which is welded or otherwise suitably xed to the member 93. Thus, the lever d is normally pulled in a clockwise direction about the pivot lill, viewing Fig. 3.

In the use of the device above described, the arm IB is adjustably fixed on the piston rod 28 to accommodate the spring of any particular length. The rod members 62 are also adjusted, as above described, to accommodate the spring of any particular diameter. The spring is then positioned between the arms i4 and I5 as shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4, and the air cylinder is then operated to depress the upper arm l5. The spring 33 is then compressed as shown by the broken lines in Fig. 3, and as diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 8. At the completion of the downward stroke of the arm l the guide pins 62 have been moved to a position substantially flush with, or slightly below, the surface of the table I2.

Burlap strips l i4 having elongated pockets dened by stitching l it, and having the lower ends closed by stitching H3, may then be positioned on the table l2 with the upper ends of the pockets directed toward the free ends of the arms i4 and E6. It will thus be appreciated that the springs 33 may be readily inserted into the pockets through the open ends thereof by slipping the free ends of such pockets over the free ends of the arms I4 and i6. A compressed spring is thus disposed in the bottom of the pocket, as shown in Fig. 9. After all of such pockets have been lled, the open ends thereof may be sewed shut by stitching |20, as shown in Fig. 10. Thereafter, the compressed springs may be turned through 90 from the position shown in Fig. 9 to that shown in Fig. 10, when they expand and ll the pockets of the burlap strips l I4.

It will be appreciated that the operation of the apparatus of the present invention is quick, in that by depressing the pedal 58 the arm I6 is depressed, and remains depressed until the pedal 58 is released when the air is introduced into the upper or lower end of the cylinder 34 to raise the arm i6 together with vthe guide pins 62 to the proper position for the reception of the next spring.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for handling coil springs comprising, a base, a standard on said base, spaced elements adapted to receive and compress a coil spring mounted above said base, means mounting said elements on said standard for movement relative to each other, movable guide means disposed adjacent to said elements for stabilizing the spring during its compression, and means for simultaneously moving said elements relative to each other and for moving said guide means.

2. A device for handling coil springs comprising, a base, a standard on said base, spaced elements adapted to receive and compress a coil spring mounted above said base on said standard, movable guide means disposed adjacent to said elements for stabilizing a spring during its compression, and means for simultaneously moving said elements relative to each other and for moving said guide means a greater distance than the distance of relative movement of said elements.

3. A device for handling coil springs comprising a support having a table portion, a pair of spaced, elongated elements disposed above said table portion and adapted to receive and compress a coil spring therebetween, means mounting said elements on said support in superimposed relationship with respect to each other and with the lower of said elements spaced from said table portion, elongated, movable guide means mounted on said standard and extending above said table adjacent to said elements, and means for moving the upper of said elements toward the lower of said elements to thereby compress a coil spring and for moving said guide means downwardly below the lower of said elements.

4. A device for handling coil springs comprising, a base, a standard on said base, spaced elements adapted to receive and compress a coil spring mounted on said standard above said base, a pair of movable rods disposed adjacent to said elements for stabilizing the spring during its compression, means for relatively adjusting said guide elements toward and from each other, and means for relatively moving said spaced elements toward each other while moving said guide elements therebelow.

5. A device for handling coil springs comprising a support having a table portion, a pair of spaced elongated elements disposed above said table portion and adapted to receive and compress a coil spring therebetween, means engaging one of the ends of each of said elongated elements and mounting such elements on said support in superimposed relationship with respect to each other and with the lower of said elements spaced from said table portion, stabilizing means extending above said table adjacent said elements, means for moving the upper of said elements toward and away from the lower of said elements to thereby compress a coil spring and for moving said stabilizing means downwardly to a position substantially flush with said table portion below the lower of said elements.

CLIFFORD F. PETERSON. 

